


With Friends By Your Side

by cc tinslebee (Doitlikeagreaser)



Series: Polarize [1]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Demetri and Eli do the Wheel Technique, Established Relationship, Gen, I should tag that right?, I'm actually super proud of this-, M/M, Making Out, Me? Loving all of Demetri's friendships? It's more likely than you'd think, Platonic Relationships, Post-Season/Series 03, Protectiveness, a few clarifications are in the beginning note!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28967109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doitlikeagreaser/pseuds/cc%20tinslebee
Summary: Eli starts to realise that Demetri has a lot more friends than he used to. It's a difficult observation to ignore when several of them make their suspicions about him clear.Or: five times Eli is confronted by one of Demetri's friends (and one time he tells him).
Relationships: Chris & Demetri (Cobra Kai), Demetri/Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, Miguel Diaz & Demetri (Cobra Kai), Miguel Diaz & Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, Moon & Demetri (Cobra Kai), Robby Keene & Demetri (Cobra Kai), Samantha LaRusso & Demetri (Cobra Kai)
Series: Polarize [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155227
Comments: 22
Kudos: 89





	With Friends By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to quickly preface a few things:  
> I did write Eli with the knowledge that he's autistic (or at least neurodivergent), though it's a little subtle like it is in the show. I am neurodivergent, but I'm not autistic; what I did incorporate into this story comes from the analysis of Cobra Kai fans who are autistic on Tumblr. I really hope that I was able to do his character some justice.  
> The last thing is just I believe that the last section of this fic is my first attempt actually writing about people kissing, so that's interesting. I hope it's not too bad--

1\. Sam

"So," Demetri hopped off of one of the platforms at Miyagi-Do onto the walkway, "Who wants to drive me home?"

"I will," Eli instinctively replied, almost not picking up on the other voice that harmonised with his. When he peered behind him, he was met with a hard stare from the LaRusso heir, a look he had grown accustomed to.

Demetri looked back and forth between them, quickly recognising the growing tension. "Well... this is awkward," he observed, unable to help himself despite knowing he would only make things worse.

"I got it," Eli assured her, "Really. It's no trouble."

"No, no, I'm sure _Hawk_ and I can work things out," Sam told Demetri, ignoring Eli all together. "Why don't you head out front? We'll be there in a minute."

Demetri gave Eli a worried look. "Alright..." As he started to move past them, he stopped in front of Eli. "Please don't fight," he requested softly, patting Eli's shoulder.

Eli placed a hand on Demetri's cheek and pecked him on the lips in response. "I'll see you in a second."

Demetri nodded at him, giving Sam a nod on his way out before he disappeared around the corner of the house.

Sam gave Eli another harsh glare when he returned his attention to her.

She stepped towards him with indictment in her step. "I should have asked this sooner," she prefaced, "but _why_ are you here?"

Eli furrowed his brow. "Um, I'm... talking to you about who's going to take my boyfriend home?"

"No, I mean, why are you _here?"_

The meaning behind her words was so evident, she didn't even need to spell it out for him.

Miyagi-Do. Why he was training at Miyagi-Do after hunting them down for so long. It was written all over her face, right down to the way her lips pursued in a frown: _I don't trust you._

_Ouch._

"For one, I'm here because of Demetri. He's probably the strongest reason. But that's probably not good enough for you, is it?" He began to shake, feeling himself getting more defensive with every word. But at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to care whether or not he was mouthing off to Samantha LaRusso. "How about: I felt misplaced in Cobra Kai after Kreese recruited those dishonorable bullies? I won't pretend like I was any better than them, because I wasn't. But those jackasses picked on Demetri and me for _years,_ and I seem to remember one of them was your boyfriend. Two of them were, now that I think about it. Which reminds me, my third point would probably have to be my loyalty to Miguel. It was bad enough that I was all buddy-buddy with my former tormentors; I wasn't about to train alongside the guy that almost killed my friend," Eli huffed, sticking his hands in his pockets.

The mention of Robby Keene only seemed to infuriate Sam even more. "He didn't _mean_ to--"

"I know, I know!" Eli interrupted. "I didn't say he did!" He let out a frustrated sigh, "Okay, so what's your theory? That after switching sides mid-fight and training with you guys for weeks, I'm just a spy for Kreese?"

"I don't know!" Sam chided. "It just... seems all too convenient." 

Drained of any fight he had, Eli submitted. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, you can take him home today. I don't know how far out of the way it would be for you. But if it puts an end to this argument, then for Demetri's sake, by all means."

Something flashed behind Sam's eyes for a moment; then it was gone. She spoke softer this time, "No, you should take him home." Their eyes met in an odd sort of solidarity. "But you better be careful with him on that death trap you call a motorcycle," she continued with enough conviction that Eli had half a mind to say "yes, ma'am," in acknowledgement.

Judging by the way her face shifted in surprise and mock-horror, he guessed he did. He cleared his throat, sulking a bit.

"You're a freaky little man, Hawk," she said, the malice in her voice replaced by well-meaning amusement. She discernibly pointed her finger at him, "But I mean it."

"No worries," Eli raised his hands defensively. "He lives less than a block away from me; I've done this trip a million times. Besides, he wouldn't _let me_ do anything reckless even if I tried."

Sam chuckled, "That sounds like Demetri. He almost fainted when Moon and I told him we got into a hit-and-run last year."

"You're kidding," Eli gaped.

Sam shook her head, a reminiscent smile on her face. "We'll have to tell you about it sometime when Demetri's around."

The thought of Demetri's face of utter horror at the story was tempting. "I'd _love_ that."

Sam stifled another laugh before she started to make her way around the dojo. Eli quickly followed suit to find Demetri.

He knew he would still have to make an effort to work with Sam going forward, but that could have gone a _lot_ worse.

2\. Miguel

Miguel came across him sitting on a bench at his apartment complex, his knee bobbing up and down in impatience. Eli's fidgeting aside, he stood out like a sore thumb with that wild hair of his. It was unusual for Eli to show up at his home unannounced and it was even weirder for him to be loitering like that.

There was a decent chance that Eli wouldn't notice him in his zoned out state; a thought that was short-lived when an abrupt _"El Serpiente!"_ echoed through the complex.

Miguel approached his smiling friend. "Hey, Hawk. What're you-- what're you doing here?"

"Ah, I'm waiting on Sensei Lawrence," Eli replied with a nonchalant shrug. "He and Sensei LaRusso are trying to figure out how to combine their teaching styles and, well, I offered to be their guinea pig today."

"Right," Miguel nodded, understanding, "because your fighting style is the most rooted in Cobra Kai's offence. You need to learn how to balance that out with Mr. LaRusso's defensive strategies before you can relearn Sensei's version."

"Right, yeah, exactly," he said, instead of telling him that the thought never occurred to him. "I think they're gonna work with Sam next, do the same thing but reversed."

Miguel chuckled to himself, "Are you ready for the amount of arguing you're going to have to sit through?"

Eli groaned, "Don't remind. I rather listen to one of Bert and Nathaniel's petty arguments, and they're _just_ as bad. I don't understand how any of you have been able to endure two grown men arguing like twelve-year-olds."

"The trick is learning to tune the twelve-year-olds out," Miguel quipped. His face softened suddenly in thought. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Once our senseis figure this whole balanced training out and you learn Miyagi-Do defence on top of your strong offence," Miguel started carefully, as to not unintentionally upset Eli, "does that mean... you won't need Demetri as your partner?"

There was an unspoken weight to Miguel's words that he wouldn't dare say out loud. 

He and Demetri had been working side-by-side on perfecting their routine since Eli joined Miyagi-Fang. With offence and brute strength on Eli's side combined with Demetri's defensive and agile methods, they became a force to be reckoned with. Their diverse fighting styles allowed them to deal more damage to their foes and reduce the amount that they took.

On the surface, Miguel was asking if he would be able to fight more efficiently on his own. Underneath that, Miguel wanted to know if he wouldn't need Demetri or Miyagi-Fang once he mastered defence.

A part of Miguel thought he was a spy too.

"I'll always want Demetri by my side, even once I'm able to hold my own defence," Eli carefully replied. "I mean, I know Sensei Lawrence is a little intense, but I think Demetri could benefit from Eagle Fang as much as I can from Miyagi-Do. I don't want him to fight anyone without me, but when Cobra Kai inevitably goes after him for my betrayal, I want him to be able to hold his own. I know he can, but there's still a margin of error. If our senseis can perfect this merger, maybe we'll be less likely to lose like that again."

Miguel, wanting to believe more than any of Demetri's friends that Eli was legitimate, accepted his answer without another word. He awkwardly glanced at Johnny's apartment. "How long has he been in there?"

Eli's face slid into his hands, exasperated, "Too long."

"Do you want me to get him for you?"

Eli looked up at his friend and nodded silently. He knew all too well that if Johnny would answer the door to anyone, it would be Miguel.

Miguel gave him a soft smile before rapping his knuckles against Johnny's door.

Johnny emerged not long after, familiarly greeting Miguel and nodding to Eli. "Let's go, kid, chop-chop," he instructed, heading directly for Daniel's car like he hadn't left them waiting for half an hour. 

Eli mouthed a quick "thank you" to Miguel before jogging right after him. 

_I owe you one, man,_ Eli texted him as soon as he sat in the back of Daniel's car.

He got a quick text back: _Don't mention it._

3\. Moon

Sam made good on her promise to regale him with the tale of her complacency in a hit-and-run against his very own sensei. He was enthralled by every second of the story but enjoyed the way Demetri squirmed at the felony's details even more.

"Eli, light of my life," Demetri cooed sweetly before his voice strained, _"Why_ would you make me endure that again?" 

Eli just grinned as he nabbed one of the French fries on his tray.

It was oddly relieving, sitting next to Demetri during lunch again. Of course, their table was a little fuller nowadays, with Sam, Moon, and, naturally, Miguel being with them on most days. Sometimes Chris joined them if he had that lunch period. Other times, like now, Chris's place at the table was filled by the two little gremlins known as Bert and Nathaniel.

Eli actually adored Bert. He had taken him under his wing back when they were at Cobra Kai, always attentively ensuring that he wasn't falling behind so he wouldn't lose a fight or get picked on. He was admittedly disappointed when Kreese had kicked him out for refusing to feed Clarence -- or the little rodent Eli had affectionately tried to name "Hawk Jr." -- to his new pet snake. He realised now it was a blessing in disguise as Bert was much better off at Miyagi-Fang, wincing at the memory of Kyler's goons defenestrating the small boy.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, still gave him the stink eye for what he pulled with the fundraiser money. Eli hardly blamed him; he had long since added what he and the Cobra Kai had done to him to the list of things he would never let himself live down. Demetri's broken arm was at the top of that list.

He didn't need to think about that right now.

He tuned back into the conversation in just time to notice Sam softly nudge Miguel.

"Can you walk me to my internship class?" she asked quietly. "I have to get there a few minutes early."

Miguel nodded eagerly, ever the gentleman.

That was another thing that had changed. The students of Miyagi-Fang had taken it upon themselves to establish a buddy system. Everyone, despite their rank, should never take the risk of walking alone somewhere. It didn't eliminate the chances of a Cobra striking out against them, but it gave them a shot at better fighting them off. It was especially useful now that most of them had a bounty on their heads.

Sam glanced at everyone else as she grabbed her bag, "We'll see you guys later."

Demetri and Moon vocally said goodbye to them, wishing them luck. Not long after, they transitioned into some sort of good-natured debate that Eli could only half-listen to. He watched them back and forth, nodding quietly in acknowledgement, but ultimately he had a feeling he was growing socially exhausted. Demetri, still heavily invested in the conversation, inconspicuously put his arm around Eli, gently squeezing his shoulder every once in a while.

"Okay, but surely you can understand the appeal of the concept. Energy doesn't just disappear, right? It's one of the most consistent things in life. Why should consciousness just cease to exist when other energies in the body transfer to another source?"

Demetri scoffed, not unkindly. "Well played, but how would that even work? Energy transfers into things around it. Like, uh... a bowling ball going down a lane, picking up momentum. When it hits the pins, some of that energy goes into propelling the pins backwards. If someone passes away violently, it's not like their consciousness or 'soul' gets propelled into some empty space or significant object."

Were they... talking about ghosts?

Moon gaped at him in mock offence, "Are you saying that souls don't exist?"  
"That depends. Are _you_ insinuating that ghosts are real?" Demetri quipped back.

That's when Nathaniel mumbled distinctly, "'Don't reckon Hawk has a soul."

Eli spoke up before he could think it through. "What was that, you little cretin?" he snapped, a little taken aback by his tone. He felt another firm squeeze on his shoulder causing him to look at Demetri, who gave him a soft, concerned expression. All remaining annoyance in his body simmered away at the look. He peeked back at the table and added softer, "That is if you believe souls exist at all."

"Thank you!" Demetri cheered, resting back a little in his seat. He caught a glance at the cafeteria clock, jolting upright again. "Shit, we gotta go." Demetri squeezed Eli's shoulder one last time and stood up. "I'll be right back," he smiled at him before gesturing to Bert and Nathaniel so he could walk them to their next class. The latter gave him another noticeable glare on the way out.

Which left Eli alone with Moon.

They hadn't spoken much since Eli had started hanging out with Demetri and Sam, opting for silent solidarity on the occasions they hung out with them together. Feeling out of his element, Eli stuck to avoiding her gaze and picking at the fries from Demetri's abandoned tray.

"Hi," Moon sent him a cautious smile from across the table.

His eyes darted from her back to the tray, "Hey."

Moon was quiet for what seemed like a long time after that, contemplating what she could say if anything at all. "You know, you shouldn't be so hard on Nathaniel. He's a good kid."

"I know," Eli replied, keeping his head low. "And every bit of resentment he has against me is justified."

Moon nodded, more so in acknowledgement than agreement. "So..." she gently stabbed her fork into what was left of her salad, "You and Demetri?"

It didn't sound as accusatory as he thought it would. It was like she was trying to make small talk without knowing how with him. They were never really good at that, even before.

"Yeah."

She became quiet again. "I'm glad you've come to your senses." She looked back to him, "You _have_ come to your senses, haven't you?"

Because there was the obvious possibility that this was just another facade that masked his real intentions. Sam and Miguel suspected as much and apparently, so did Moon.

"Yeah, I think I have," he affirmed. 

"Good," she nodded, "Because I'm not about to let Demetri get hurt again."

Eli thought that was the most assertive he's ever heard Moon, only second to when she broke up with him. He knew she meant it too, and knowing Moon has always been a pacifist did not take away from the gravity of it. 

Even her threats were good-natured.

"Are you two close?"

It would have sounded like an accusation if Eli wasn’t dating Demetri now. It struck him as odd when he saw them together at the festival last year and even odder when Demetri had informed him that Moon told him she had loved Eli.

"I guess we are, thanks to you." Moon smiled a little brighter this time. "I'm happy for you, Eli."

That must have been the first time she called him by his name. He sent a tentative smile back before thinking to ask, "Are you still with Piper?"

Moon nodded.

"She seems like a nice girl. I hope she treats you well."

He found it hard to meet her eyes for long, but Moon's smile softened, and he hoped that was a sign that she knew he meant it.

Eli felt a hand rest on the back of his chair at that moment, the familiar presence of Demerti looming behind him. "Everything alright?"

When Eli looked back over to Moon, he found that she was already watching him. She nodded over to him, lips pursed in a friendly smile.

He turned his gaze back up to Demetri with a smile, "Yeah, we're good."

Demetri grinned right back, "Good to hear." He gazed at Moon, "Do you want to walk to class with us?"

Moon glanced to Eli as if asking permission; he quickly nodded. She beamed at Demetri, "I'd love to."

4\. Chris

Eli was sitting on the edge of a deck close to the Miyagi house on a particularly humid, February afternoon. He swung his dangling legs absentmindedly, watching his fellow students on the green of the dojo. Demetri had been whining about the sweltering heat for the past week or so, complaining about getting heatstroke; Eli had managed to _finally_ convince him to borrow one of his tank tops for training. Much to Demetri’s dismay, he lent him a particularly ‘douchy’ one that he begrudgingly wore. Eli may have been admiring his handy work when Chris approached him.

“What’s up, man?” Eli glanced up at him with a nod before returning his gaze to Demetri, who was chatting with Bert and Nathaniel. Eli knew better than to overstay his welcome when it came to Chris; he wasn’t the aggressive type, but he wasn’t close to Eli by any means after the mall incident.

“Hey,” Chris greeted, standing off to the side as to not block Eli’s view. “Can I ask you something?”

Eli tore his eyes away from his boyfriend to peer at Chris, sitting up a bit. “Yeah, of course. Go for it.”

“Why are you here?”

It wasn’t accusatory, more like a genuine question with no real malice to it. Eli knew better than to make another smart-ass response.

Man, if he had a nickel for every time a Miyagi-Do student asked him that; he’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot -- certainly considering all the money he spent on his collection of tattoos and ever-changing hair -- but still weird that it happened twice.

He shrugged and answered honestly, “Demetri, I guess. I know that sounds lame considering all I put him through, but it’s the truth. Can’t really explain it.”

Chris nodded, seemingly understanding. He quietly glanced from the spot on the deck next to him to Eli as if asking permission. Eli nodded and scooted over.

He didn’t expect Chris’s next question. “Why is Mitch here?”

Eli furrowed his brow thoughtfully. He never considered that before. “Why don’t you ask him?”

“I-I couldn’t…”

Eli thought some more. “Probably because he started to get excluded at Cobra Kai. He was sick of it, so he packed up and went back to Sensei Lawrence.”

Chris nodded quietly again. “You’re probably wondering why I’m not interrogating you like some of the other people here. Don’t get me wrong; I have my suspicions about you.”

“I know.” It was hard to forget the stare Chris gave him when Eli offered to drive Demetri home on December 19th.

“I just didn’t think it was fair of me to get on your case when I accepted Mitch so willingly.”

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Eli inquired. “I mean, I did a lot of shitty things, I know that. What I made you do -- what I put _Demetri_ through -- at the mall was on me. But how come no one’s interrogating Mitch? He willingly helped me hurt Demetri and Nathaniel. He _encouraged_ me to--” he swallowed harshly, his voice going quiet, “--break Demetri’s arm… he high-fived me after doing it.”

Chris took in a sharp breath, “I know, and I’m still not super thrilled about that either. He’s trying to unlearn Kreese’s teachings, same as you. And, well, you’re not the only one who Nate’s giving grief for the past,” he offered lightly.

Eli snorted, “Have to hand it to the little twerp, he can be really determined when he sets his mind to something.”

He glanced over at Chris when he wasn’t looking, wanting to ask if they were alright now. A familiar feeling of displacement stirred in his chest, something that came with the territory of spending time with Miyagi-Do students now. He still believed that he didn’t deserve a seat at the table after everything he did and no amount of Demetri’s soft-spoken reassurances or gradual Miyagi acceptances changed that.

Chris, taking a careful chance, nudged him lightly with his elbow. “Hey, man, you’re alright,” he conceded earnestly. “And don’t worry about Mitch; I’ll keep him in check.”

Eli returned his smile timidly. “I trust you will. You’ve taken him down before.”

Chris gave him a final nod of comradery before hopping off the deck and rejoining the group.

5\. Robby

Eli really should have known better than to return to the strip mall after Johnny explicitly instructed them to stay away from there.

_“Screw convenience, it’s too risky going anywhere near a cobra’s nest.”_

He was so careful too. He knew Cobra Kai and Kreese’s schedule like the back of his own calloused hands and picked the perfect window of opportunity to stop by the convenience store.

Eli knew he messed up when he reached for the handle and a rough “What do you think you’re doing here?” roared through the strip mall.

He peered behind him to see the owner of the voice, who was none other than Robby Keene. Somehow they always kept meeting. From their first karate tournament to Robby defending Demetri from him at the mall; from Robby taking his place at Cobra Kai to now it seemed. 

Eli pivoted around with a sigh, nonchalantly scanning the parking lot for an easy escape. “We have to stop meeting like this.”

Robby seemed to be the furthest thing from amused. “Look, I don’t know what your deal is, but Kreese isn’t here. Go home.”

Of course he knew Kreese wasn’t there, that was the point. Why would he willing show himself to the man who probably wanted him dead for going AWOL?

“I didn’t realize this convenience store had a snake problem,” Eli countered despite his better judgement. “That’s on me.”

He began to disengage, knowing well that his senseis and friends would be livid if he even _thought_ of fighting a Cobra Kai on his own. Besides, he didn’t need Demetri to make himself sick with worry and fuss over him like a protective parent. He had to deal with enough of that at home.

It was almost as if Robby had read his mind, because without skipping a beat, he shouted at Eli’s back, “And stay away from Demetri!”

Eli stopped cold in his tracks, slowly turning to meet Robby’s eyes, despite the discomfort it brought him. “What was that?”

“I said stay away from him,” Robby repeated assertively, taking several confident steps towards him. Eli noticed, though, there was a shakiness to his step that he recognised well. “I don’t care what sort of sick game you’re playing, but leave Demetri out of it for once. He doesn’t need this.”

Eli’s eyebrows furrowed, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

A familiar fury lit behind Robby’s eyes. _“Don’t,”_ he warned. “Don’t play stupid with me. Whatever plan you and Kreese have going on, leave Demetri out of it. You’ve done enough to him; the least you can do is not lead him on.”

A furious thought crossed his mind to set Robby straight for even thinking that he would ever consort with Kreese after everything. Just as quickly as it came, another, smarter thought took its place. 

Tory and Kyler thought he defected, but _Robby_ thought he was a double agent. Either Robby was worried about losing his newest father figure, or he cared more about Miyagi-Fang than he let on. Either way, he could use that.

If Eli could plagiarise anything of what Kreese taught him, it was to fight smart.

Eli nonchalantly shrugged in the way that Johnny or Demetri would when they were bluffing, “Demetri’s a smart fighter, he’ll be fine.” He eyed the Cobra standing in front of him, directing an assertive finger at him, “And don’t you forget that he was _my_ friend before he was yours. You don’t _get_ to defend him now. You left him for Cobra Kai, _just_ like I did, straight into the hands of the adult who beat him up.”

He watched as Robby’s face shifted in uncertainty and a bit of rage before Eli spun around and sauntered off. His chest soared with pride, allowing himself to hope that his words would make an impact on Robby. Maybe it would be enough to get him to defect all on his own.

When Eli was a safe distance away from the strip mall, he shot a text to Demetri, letting him know he would be a little late. He spared a glance back, and it dawned upon him just how weird that was.

+1. Demetri

All was quiet at Miyagi-Do as Eli and Demetri stood on top of the circular pond deck, practising the Wheel Technique one early morning. Much to Daniel’s surprise, Demetri and Eli had nearly perfected the technique much sooner than Sam and Robby once had. Their success was attributed to their close bond. Their familiarity with each other was strong enough to overcome Demetri’s general lack of balance and Eli’s more aggressive fighting style. Still, Eli insisted that they should take some time to work out the kinks of the technique. Demetri, knowing that Daniel still erred on the side of caution when it came to Eli, took it upon himself to request if they could practice alone. Demetri personally vouched for Eli, the earnest look in his now bright eyes was all it took for Daniel to cave in.

Eli and Demetri started the kata from the top for the fourth or fifth time that day, centring themselves before repeating the kata’s beginning karate chop in sync. They punched the air, block, and repeated the movement. Making another chopping motion with one hand and then the other, they began to turn away from each other.

“Your friends are pretty intense,” Eli remarked as he side-kicked away from Demetri.

Demetri punched low and laughed, “You’re one to talk.”

They followed the punch with a low block before pivoting themselves to face each other once again.

“I never said it was a bad thing,” Eli offered sheepishly, centring himself. “It’s good that you have people that are so dedicated to you.”

They turned their backs to each other, hands brought together from above their heads to their cores. 

“Man, even Keene came after me about it.”

When Eli felt the other side of the deck wobble, he moved his feet to compensate for it. He peered over his shoulder; Demetri still had his back to him, but his posture and outstretched arm were considerably stiffer. It wasn’t healthy for him to become rigid like that mid-kata.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Demetri asked over his shoulder.

Eli smirked to himself. “I think you of all people would know if he got to me.” He added more seriously, “We just talked, that’s all. He thought it was suspicious that I switched sides so quickly.”

Demetri began to shift his feet to the next move in the kata, forcing Eli to follow suit to maintain their balance. “He was probably just worried that he’s going to lose his newest, unstable karate parent if you turned out to be a double agent. You were the top student, after all.”

Eli stifled a prideful laugh. “Actually, he was more concerned about you. I don’t think he’s forgotten that time at the mall.” They turned, once again face to face. “I’m not thrilled about the prospect, but…” Eli grinned mischievously, “I think I might’ve found a way to get him to come back. Or at least away from Cobra Kai.”

“Oh, but then you wouldn’t have your karate arch-nemesis to battle,” Demetri teased, taking a mindful step forward.

 _“Smartass,”_ Eli met his step so they wouldn’t fall, then paused. “Who am I in this situation? Batman or the Joker?”

“I want to say the Joker because of that ridiculous hair,” Demetri quipped, only half meaning the jab at his hair. “But since you’re clearly in denial about having a karate rival, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say you’re Batman.”

Eli took a more confident step forward, simpering. “I thought you were my karate rival.”

“Emphasis on the past tense, my dear. I’m more your Catwoman if anything. We were on opposing sides, but now we help each other out. Still have our differences though,” he continued after a moment of thought.

Eli chuckled softly, “Your comparisons make zero sense, dude. How are you Catwoman when _I’m_ the one who defected to _your_ side?”

“I know,” Demetri grinned, “and that’s true. You have the predator name and everything.”

Through their jesting, they had brought themselves closer to the centre of the deck; they were surprised it managed to remain afloat. Eli reached out for Demetri, firmly grabbing ahold of the collar of his shirt. He made a single, calculated step forward before he deliberately fell backwards, pulling Demetri with him. Demetri’s eyes went wild in panic, but Eli looked perfectly serene, barely flinching as if he were simply falling back onto Demetri’s bed. 

He screwed his eyes shut in pain and grunted when his back hit the wood, harshly rocking the afloat deck. Demetri toppled on top of him, his fall braced by his own outstretched hands and Eli himself. They weren’t fortunate enough to avoid the pond water drenching them upon impact, but thankfully, neither of them tumbled off of the deck. 

Eli let out a sharp hiss when Demetri landed on him before abruptly bursting into a hearty laugh.

“What’s the big idea?” Demetri blurted, his tone lacking any anger.

Eli shrugged, contently gazing up at his lover. Despite his shorter haircut and increased tolerance for the sun, bits of Demetri’s hair still fell forward in this position and the morning light illuminated his pale skin. A fleeting thought crossed his mind that he reminded him of one of those ridiculous sparkling vampires and he snorted, mortified, to himself. 

He always loved the way the sun lightened Demetri's eyes ever so slightly, like amber rings. 

Deciding to push his luck just a little, Eli wrapped his legs around Demetri’s waist, keeping him in place. It was lenient enough that he could easily pull back and release himself. Demetri, however, consciously remained there with him, which was encouragement enough for Eli. Hand still fisted in Demetri’s shirt, Eli pulled him down further, his eyes fluttering shut as he brushed his lips gently against his boyfriend’s like it was a question. 

Demetri reciprocated the semblance of a kiss quickly, firmly pressing his lips against Eli’s, insistent enough to get them both to commit to the kiss. Shifting his lanky limbs to find a more comfortable position where he wasn’t crushing his poor boyfriend on the floating deck, Demetri resolved to keep his hands on either side of Eli’s head to keep himself upright. His legs shifted into a shaky kneel, a pseudo straddle of one of Eli’s legs that wasn’t ideal, but kept them both from flipping the entire deck over, he decided. 

Eli gradually released his grasp on Demetri’s shirt, moving his hands instead to the back of his boyfriend’s head. He combed his fingers through the short, dark hair that was currently much drier than his own, inadvertently deepening the kiss. The back of Demetri’s shirt got the worst of the splash, but Eli was practically _laying_ in the aftermath, dyed hair and all.

Eli found that Demetri’s lips were a lot softer than he had anticipated. He had a nasty habit of licking his lips when they felt dry, which caused more damage than it solved, but now they were soft and occasionally tasted of the vanilla-scented chapstick they received in a mandatory wellness class. His kissing had greatly improved since they started dating too, still firm and loving, but more methodical and gentle now. _(Jeez, what had Yasmine done to him?_ He quickly pushed that thought away, just grateful that he managed to set him right.)

Demetri let out a content sigh against his lips as he slowly parted from him. Eli must have unconsciously pouted because a chuckle from Demetri was followed by a delicate kiss to his scar. He manoeuvred his focus to Eli’s jawline, peppering tender kisses along the jaw and pausing about halfway up the trail to nip gently at the skin there, causing a satisfactory reaction from his boyfriend.

“If we end up falling into the pond, I’m blaming you,” Demetri muttered softly against his neck.

“Fair enough,” Eli hummed back.

“Mr. LaRusso will freak if he catches us like this,” he continued, though he made no sign of stopping. “This might be the _tamest_ thing he’s walked in on, but if he does see us--”

“I’ll take the fall.”

 _That_ made Demetri halt. When he pulled back to meet his eyes, Demetri’s features softened, melting in adoration before he brushed it off and scoffed. “Absolutely not. You’re already on thin ice with Mr. LaRusso; I’m _not_ about to let you get in trouble.”

Eli felt his chest swell as all he could do was nod, with a small, “Okay.”

Demetri smiled softly in return, dipping his head down to tenderly kiss his boyfriend again.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading! I'm actually super proud of this fic, so it seriously means a lot to me.  
> Kudos are really appreciated, as are comments! Please be respectful, though!  
> If there's anything you think I could have done better with subtly portraying Eli as autistic/neurodivergent, please feel free to let me know either here or you can direct message me on my Tumblr @ cc-tinslebee.


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